"Back?" he's currently doing his best to keep his breathing at a regular pace.
"He was meeting with Dumbledore."
"Right," Sirius knew that, because Remus always tells him where he's going and what he's doing and Sirius never remembers and never returns the favour because he's a selfish asshole.
James looks like he's about to say something else but at that moment Lily's voice cuts; "What's up—oh, hey," and then she's kneeling down, the smile slipping from her face when she takes in Sirius's expression.
"Have you heard from Remus today?" James asks her, not wasting time. To her credit Lily looks only mildly surprised by the question.
"No, not all day, why?"
"Fuck," Sirius curses before he can stop himself.
Her eyes are back on him, flooded with concern. "What's going on?"
"No one's seen him since he Flooed this morning," James explains. "Hey Pads, did you call Peter?"
Sirius swallows around the rock in his throat. "No."
"Okay, you do that and we'll call Marlene and Dorcas, see if they've heard anything. Then we'll come over, alright?"
He nods numbly, hating the new feeling of foreboding building in his stomach. People go missing almost every day now, what if—
"Sirius," James's voice brings him back, his gaze intense even through the fire. "We're going to find him. He's going to be okay."
"Yeah," Sirius says, because he's not about to argue.
"We'll see you soon."
Sirius takes a deep breath, shaking on the exhale. He needs to get it together, they don't even know that anything is wrong yet. He's freaking out for no reason. It's because of his mother, she put him on edge—set him off—everything is too much right now.
He breathes in and out a few more times before calling Peter.
Nobody answers.
He tries again.
Nobody answers.
"What the fuck Peter!" he shouts at the empty fireplace. "Where the fuck are you?"
He hears a knock on the door and jumps even though he knows it's James and Lily. They have anti-Apparation charms on the apartment because, well, safety. It had been Remus's idea, of course.
"Peter isn't answering his bloody Floo," Sirius says as he throws open the door.
James frowns, walking in with Lily right behind him, she squeezes Sirius's arm as she passes.
"Marlene and Dorcas were there but they haven't seen Remus since last night," James says flatly.
Part of Sirius isn't even sure this is real. Maybe he's having some kind of psychotic break and this is all a delusion. Because the thought that something terrible has happened to Remus, and he's just been here, fidgeting in their flat, being useless, it makes him want to tear himself in half.
"Fuck it, I'm going to Hogwarts," he grabs his jacket, half-expecting one of them to protest. To tell him it's too late, to wait until morning. He doesn't find it comforting when neither of them do. It means they don't think he's overreacting.
"I'll stay here," Lily says as Sirius shoves on his boots. "In case he Floos or comes back."
James nods. "Keep trying Peter yeah? He'll want to know," she nods as he kisses her on the cheek, meeting Sirius at the front door.
Chapter Forty-Three
Start from the beginning
